Kevin and Kirsty’s wedding was referred to me by a friend, and as soon as I saw it I knew it was something special. It manages to be chic and sophisticated but soft and personal all at once. Every time I looked at Lauren Kriedemann’s swoon-worthy images I found another clever detail to fall in love with – the collection of silver containers, the little trees covered with fairy lights, the champagne and Guinness welcome drinks – I could go on and on! A black and white colour scheme could have been quite harsh, but with a little dash of plum and a variety of flowers and textures, this was 100% romance. And you couldn’t find a couple that look more in love – and like they’re having more fun together! Congratulations Kirsty and Kevin, and thank you for sharing your day with us!
I have such a treat for you today! I spotted Ankia and Philip’s wedding on Joanne Markland’s website, and immediately begged her to let me share it with you (thanks Jo!). I fell head over heels for all the charming and original details of this wedding – the walk to church, the feather confetti, all the hearts, the nametags (LOVE that everything was in Ankia’s pretty handwriting – talk about the personal touch!), the bunting, the beyond adorable cake (not to mention a gorgeous couple). When I read Ankia’s description, all those details really came to life, and I was touched by how her friends and family were so involved in creating them. Philip is a lawyer and Ankia is the brand manager for Robertson Winery, and they met on Spring Day (1 September) in their first year at university. She tells me they are quite the opposite when it comes to their personalities, but it’s clear they are still just as crazy about one another as on that first day. Congratulations to both of you, and thank you for sharing your wedding with us!
What does being a bridesmaid mean to you? For me, it’s having your closest girl friends with you and part of one of the most important and exciting things you’ll do. Over the years we’re there to dry each other’s tears, be each other’s cheerleaders, celebrate each other’s successes. We’re sisters, whether by birth or by design. So there’s something very special about including those same women who have been with you through it all in the mechanics of your special day. Just like the heart of a wedding is the commitment between two people, the heart of having a wedding party is that they are your witnesses, and that makes them part of your marriage as well as your wedding. I’ve done my fair share of bridesmaiding over the years and loved every minute of it, but I’ve also learned some big lessons about what can make the experience wonderful and what can make it a chore on both sides. So here are my top tips for brides and bridesmaids!
Lenore and Adrian met fresh out of high school when he was the DJ at her sister’s 21st birthday. Eleven years later, surrounded by those closest to them, they tied the knot in a wedding that was as heartfelt and personal as it was elegant and fun. I just love how involved the couple was in each detail, and how their family and friends lent their talents to make the day wonderful, including Stellenbosch-based fashion photographer Theunis Stofberg, who captured the images below.
When Denis moved into a shared house in Earlsfield, London, little did he know that one of his new housemates would turn out to be his future wife! Denis and Leigh were married on a beautiful sunny day at Tokara near Stellenbosch. Despite the challenges of planning a wedding from the UK, they were the most chilled and happy bride and groom on the day, and it really shows in the gorgeous photos by the talented Simone Alexander below.
With me being from Joburg and Den from Cape Town, I jumped at the chance to have my wedding in the Cape but had to rely on our parents and websites for help planning. The feel I wanted to go for was elegant and minimalist. The very first magazine I looked through had an article on a pink, black and white wedding using orchids and I absolutely fell in love with it! Simple yet very striking. I emailed a scan to my mom and she got to it. Our moms have become firm friends so would often discuss ideas over the phone – they were both absolutely awesome. For a venue, nothing in our price range really stood out until we found Tokara – from the pics on the website I knew it was where I wanted to get married. It had the most amazing view! And I loved the fact it was a restaurant and not a hall that would be decorated. My folks were visiting Cape Town at the time, so they made a plan to meet Den’s parents there – for the first time! Luckily it all went well, and we had ourselves a venue.
We are both extremely close to our families, so wanted them very much a part of everything. Den had both his brothers as groomsmen, and I had three of my closest and oldest friends as bridesmaids. My cousin is a pastor so it was great to have him marry us – the ceremony was short and sweet with a great message. The hymn singing was dismal to say the least, but it got a good laugh in the best man’s speech! We had a jazz band performing the ceremony music as well as entertaining the guests over canapés while we had our photos taken.
For the table décor, I wanted one long pink orchid in the centre of each, with white flowers on either side. We planned on using black chair covers, but later found out that Tokara did not allow them so instead we came up with the idea of using pink pashminas as favours for the girls, which also doubled up as part of the décor. They went down a treat! We couldn’t find the exact colour that I wanted in SA, so I had to source them in the UK.
Den and I just wanted a party – no pomp and ceremony. It was a case of ‘eat, drink and be merry!’ We cut the cake as soon as we entered the reception (great idea!) and didn’t even end up throwing the bouquet or garter as time slipped away from us, but instead Den handed them to my brother and his girlfriend, who we hope are next in line. Our DJ managed to get everyone on to the dancefloor, which was just what we wanted, and in true Denis style he made sure we stayed until the very end … no amount of hinting from the bridesmaids could get him to leave the party to take his poor, exhausted bride home!
The things I loved most about the day were having all my favourite friends and family in one room at the same time, my dress and my hair (which were perfect for me) and of course, walking down the aisle in the Cape sunshine to marry the man of my dreams!
Leigh’s top tips for wedding day sanity:
Get enough sleep the night before.
Try to do as much as possible ahead of time.
Whenever you mention the wedding, people get so excited and have a ton of questions. Enjoy it – it doesn’t last long!
Don’t stress the small stuff… or any stuff for that matter. Just relax and enjoy the whole day. The things that don’t go according to plan break the ice and lighten things up.
Take as much advice as you can from the people who do weddings for a living.
Carmen and Costa met when his brother interviewed for a job at the company Carmen worked for. She must have made quite a first impression, as Costa asked her out and waited over a month for their first date! Their traditional Greek wedding, full of the joy and abundance of family life, was captured beautifully by Roberta Crumplin at Big Day Big Picture.
While looking for a fresh take on the ever-popular damask, I came across the interiors mood board from Ideal Home on the top right below and fell in love with it. The wedding it evokes is full of pretty spring style, with floaty dresses, botanical detailing and plenty of vintage touches, and could translate equally well to a garden, a marquee or a more formal ballroom wedding. And how cute are the gold-rimmed martinis?
